


The Devil is in the Details

by sidewinder



Category: Brimstone, Smallville
Genre: Gen, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-23 01:41:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11979423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sidewinder/pseuds/sidewinder
Summary: Lex receives an unannounced visit from his father, who has something special to share with him today.





	The Devil is in the Details

Lex sat at his desk, in his office in the magnificent Luthor castle, reading over the latest expense reports from the fertilizer plant. It was tedious work, particularly on a Sunday afternoon when there were far more pleasurable activities he could be enjoying.

Regardless, it was necessary for him to keep an eye all aspects of the business no matter what day of the week it was—especially when it proved his work here in Smallville was paying off to a tremendous degree.

He knew his father had sent him here both as punishment and as an anticipated lesson. A lesson in failure, like so many others the senior Luthor had put Lex through in his life to date. In fact he kept doing his best to sabotage Lex's efforts, no doubt eager to gloat at his son's expected defeat in the face of such difficult odds.

So it brought Lex no small amount of satisfaction every time he managed to prove his father wrong.

_He thinks I'll never measure up to him. Or maybe he's afraid because he knows I'm on the way to beating him at his own game. I'll be better in business than he ever was—and I'll manage to do it without selling my soul and turning everyone into my enemy in the process._

Profits were up. Lex had hired _more_ workers instead of laying them off, which in turn was helping the local economy. He'd defeated a scheming takeover attempt and, more important to him, even made a few friends here in this little town. At least he considered them friends—Clark, who was a beguiling mixture of farm boy innocence and intriguing mystery. Lana, who impressed him with her own determination and drive to make something of her life beyond Smallville. And he hoped they felt the same, for having—and keeping—friends had always been difficult for Lex.

Of course the devil was in the details. And speaking of whom…

_"Lex!"_

Only one person would come striding into his office without announcement, and with dramatic gesture and voice. Lex looked up from his paperwork and said in a calm tone, smiling through his sarcasm, "Hello, father. To what do I owe the pleasure of today's surprise visit? Come to throw another wrench in the works of my progress?"

Lionel laughed, as he typically did—annoyingly, obnoxiously—whenever Lex was too close to the truth. "You eternally think the worst of my intentions, don't you?"

"Well, since when have you ever proven me wrong?"

A more subdued chuckle was his response this time. Lionel said nothing more, for a moment, allowing the unease to build as he stared down at where his son sat. Lex struggled but succeeded in not flinching away from that piercing gaze. "No, son, today I'm here to congratulate you."

"Is that so."

"Yes, it is. I told you months ago that Smallville was to be your test. Your proving ground. And you've succeeded far beyond my expectations despite significant challenges."

"Because you've never expected anything but failure from me, isn't that the truth?"

"Far from it. If I've pushed you hard, son, it's because I knew you were meant for great things. Things far greater than a quaint if curious place such as Smallville could provide, or even Metropolis in all its splendor. And I knew that to be prepared to embrace your destiny you could not retain any mortal weaknesses, or foibles."

"I'm only human, father. And so are you. We _all_ have our weaknesses…greed, vanity...pride."

Another laugh. A laugh that, this time, made Lex feel distinctly uneasy. "Well, I'll have to give you that astute observation. Even the best have fallen victim to such vulnerabilities." Lionel paced about Lex's office, as if taking it all in for the first time: the over-the-top grandeur of the castle, the collection of artifacts and antiquities worth more money than most people could comprehend. "I have something special to show you today."

"And what would that be? Your latest scheme to make the people of this town hate me? Someone new to try to trick me and ruin all my hard work?"

"Nothing of the sort." Lionel walked over behind Lex's desk, beside him. Lex stayed in his chair, waiting, making his father do or say whatever he intended without letting his own impatience get the better of him. "Take my hand, Lex."

"Excuse me?"

Lionel held out his hand—those elegant, long fingers reaching out. For some reason Lex was reminded of a hawk's talons, outstretched to grasp its prey. "Go on. Hold my hand and let the future reveal itself to you."

Lex sighed and struggled to keep from rolling his eyes. His father could be so over-the-top dramatic, sometimes. But he did as Lionel instructed, reaching up, cautiously, to take those fingers in his own.

He should have remembered the last time he did such a thing. Because then, he might have been more prepared for what happened next.

For the room, the world around him, grew hazy. Distorted, and he felt as if he was spinning— _falling_ —a tremendous distance. He blinked and found himself now on his feet, still in his office…and yet it felt somehow all different. Not wrong, not better, not worse. Just…

Different. And hot. Almost unbearably hot, as if he could barely draw in a breath in the stifling heat.

Lionel still stood beside him, smiling, eyes dancing with dangerous delight. "The Luthor castle _is_ a very unusual building, Lex. Though I didn't have it rebuilt here after transporting it from 'Scotland', as you and the rest of the world have been told. It came from somewhere else entirely. Somewhere a bit more… _tropical_ in climate, if you haven't gathered as much already."

"Where…where are we?" Lex asked, knowing, somehow, that this was no longer Smallville. The room might have looked the same, this house, but it wasn't.

"Go to the windows and take a look for yourself."

Lex did so, moving slow, cautious. He'd become used to a certain amount of… _strangeness_ , since coming to Smallville. But if anything that had made him more careful and critical of everything. More alert for unexpected danger.

He walked to the window. Turned the ancient iron handle to open it, crack the stained glass panels wide to let in the air from outside—

And felt a chill run through him, even with the tremendous heat blasting his face. The landscape beyond, it was…

…what that old woman Cassandra had shown him. A barren world of blood and death, piles of broken skeletons, and fire. Fire everywhere. Mountains in the distance erupted with flowing lava and voices somewhere screamed in pain, despair, and helplessness.

"What is this?" Lex demanded to know.

"Home, Lex. Where you are meant to join me, some day, to rule beside your father. For I am the king of this realm, and some day you will be _my_ prince. Welcome to Hell, my son."

Lionel started laughing again—a terrible, gleeful, distinctly _evil_ sound. His laughter echoed throughout the castle, ringing in Lex's ears, as his words began to sink in.

Hell. His father's…home? His place to rule, which meant…

…which meant his father was the devil, and Lex was…

No, oh _God_ , no…

"Lex?"

He jerked awake, blinking, disoriented, heart pounding.

"Lex, are you alright?"

Lex found himself once again seated behind his desk. All around him had returned to "normal". There were no flames, no unbearable heat, no Lionel.

Only Clark Kent, standing in front of him, his face filled with clear concern.

"Clark? What are you…?"

"…doing here? You told me I should stop by if I wanted to go to the Sharks game in Metropolis tonight." He smiled bashfully. "My dad wasn't too thrilled with the idea, as you can imagine. But I finished all my chores _and_ my homework due tomorrow, so he couldn't accuse me of blowing off my responsibilities to hang out with you. You…still want to go, don't you? Or did something come up?"

"No, nothing that can't wait until later. I'm glad you could make it. I guess I…reading expense reports isn't exactly thrilling. I must have dozed off." Lex struggled to collect himself, seeing Clark's still obvious worry. "Tell you what, I need to make a quick phone call about some accounting matters before we go. Then I'll meet you downstairs? I should be ready to go in ten, fifteen minutes, tops."

"Okay, sure. Great! As long as you're really okay…"

"I'm fine. I can't wait," he insisted. "I'll make sure we get there before kickoff." He tried his best to give Clark a reassuring smile, and it did seem to work—at least for now. Clark left the office and Lex tried to relax, gather his thoughts…

Tried to make sense of what had happened, just before.

He looked down at the reports on his desk. His notes were all there, as he'd been working on them before Lionel's "appearance". So…had he merely nodded off ever so briefly?

Experienced some kind of strange flashback to Cassandra's vision?

Or…had Lionel really, somehow, been here?

Lex shook his head, wondering if he'd ever find out. And on a certain level, he hoped he never did.

 


End file.
